May 2020 Singings

Updated April 29, 2020

Dearest Friends - We will again not be sending a list of singings this month. Most, if not all, have been cancelled, and with the continuing concerns surrounding the novel coronvirus and Covid-19, singing in groups outside our own households would still be dangerous.

Beyond the month of May, the Holly Springs singing that is usually on the first Sunday of June and the Saturday before has been cancelled for this year. David Ivey has also announced the cancellation of Camp Fasola and Camp Fasola Europe for 2020, and the UK Sacred Harp Convention has been cancelled this September. All four plan to resume in 2021.

Some singers out in California (and elsewhere) have been playing with the idea of "layered" live-casts to sing in chorus, but across entire time zones. If you're on Facebook, the group is "Sacred Harp Streaming".

The Utah Sacred Harp Singers have been holding their usual singings via Zoom. They haven't been singing live together online due to lag, but instead, making requests for songs ahead, and the leader (Evelyn Lamb) has been choosing videos of those songs to play, with singers singing along at home with their mics muted. They can only hear themselves singing with the video. Some people have found this a helpful stopgap, and of course, there is socializing via audio and video before, at the recess, and after the singing. If anyone is interested in trying something like this, I am happy to set something up, but if someone else already has a professional Zoom account, that would be even better. Just drop me a line and let me know if you'd like to try this out or can host, and when would be a good time for you.

More and more Sacred Harp videos are being released by individuals and groups.
This 360-degree Easter Anthem by the Quarantine Chorus, released on Easter morning,
is a notable example. https://youtu.be/LDbOD3OO20g I hope you all enjoy it.

Here's to staying home and staying safe, to flattening the curve, to giving our healthcare workers a break, and to helping our most vulnerable citizens to stay healthy and whole. Keep singing at home, be creative, and be well.

Warmly - Lisa

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Compiled by Lisa Bennett. To subscribe to the monthly e-mail version of this newsletter,
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